Phase Zero: Entrance into Konoha!
by MonroeFishel
Summary: The prequel to Phase One! I wrote this before Phase One, and there may be a few differences among the characters, but overall, everything should be intact. Hope you like! Finished
1. Hospitable Leaf

The Birds have landed

With a crisis in the Hidden village of Grass, its survivors hope to find a safe haven in the Hidden village of the Leaf, Konoha.

The trek through the forest wasn't without its dangers, but Taiki was more focused than ever, now that he, his gennin and the rest of the survivors needed a place to stay. Given at his birth, Taiki used his pet eagle, Chikoi, to find places, which automatically made him the leader of the very young group. He wasn't the oldest at 21 years, but compared to the companions, he was pushing seniority. The crown of age rested firmly on Wara Sutari's head, as she was 30 years. Next was Ishimaru Kaito, also the tallest of the group. Next was Taiki, then Nakamara Miharu.

Miharu was 18, a chunnin, and the object of Taiki's affection, only she didn't know it. Taiki always managed to find something to talk to her about, but never got around to the real topics, like her past and what kind of person she was. Chikoi squawked overhead, alerting Taiki and the others.

"Konoha…" Sutari said, looking at the gates allowing passage into the city. A few seconds later, before Taiki's foot could touch the ground, a security officer flashed in front of him.

"Officer Karubo, what is your business?" the stern man asked. Taiki realized the man had just introduced himself, and before he could speak, Sutari spoke up.

"We are of the Hidden village of the Grass. A crisis fell upon us and many were killed and the rest were scattered."

"Crisis?" Karubo's eyebrows raised. "What kind?"

"We're not sure. Almost a rain of fire. Our village had reinforcements to stay and fight, and we were given responsibility to take the genin and come here."

With a nod, he vanished, and Taiki looked back at the others. Kaito shook his head.

"Don't go forward. They've probably put up a barrier or something." He said, thrwing a star at the wide opening. Sure enough, it reflected, being caught by Takeh Endoh, the second youngest of the pack. With a smile, he threw it back to his chunnin.

A moment later, Karubo appeared again.

"The Hokage will see you. Follow me."

The trek through the peaceful city yielded many sights. The village of Grass was all but sparse compared to the city they walked through. Just because a village was peaceful didn't mean it had to be small. Endoh Fujiwara, tall for her age, and very curious to boot, straddled away from the group and ran to an item shop.

As the group approached the steps, Miharu groaned.

"Why does she do this? I've got to get Endoh." She said to Sutari, turning and walked into the city.

"Do you know where she is?" Sutari called out. Miharu nodded.

"I have a feeling. A strong one."

Sutari joined the Grass natives, and they were soon in front of the Hokage, a blonde haired woman who used a type of genjutsu to make herself younger.

"…whoa" Kaito said, getting his first glimpse of the female Hokage, also a first. With a smirk, she addressed them.

"I'm pretty sure of what has befallen you." She said. "The Enjitori Clan has been quite restless lately."

"Enjitori." Sutari said, trailing off. "They are a clan that uses fire. A lot of fire to be honest."

"Yes, that is them. It's pretty safe to say they are dangerous." She said, looking over the balcony. Thankfully, the village of the Leaf was protected by a nice mountain range from the rear. Now, as Hokage, she had to make a decision that would include the entire village.

"Harboring residents from a certain village means an alliance could be imminent. But in your case…"

"We could be all the village has left." Sutari replied. The female Hokage nodded, making her decision.

"It is up to the elders of the group to keep up with the children. If any danger is posed from any of you, I'll make sure the security of Konoha take care of it. Karubo, Toshun, show these people their rooms."

The two shinobi's appeared in front them.

"The rooms should be across from the Academy. If you are looking to include any of your genin in the school, come tomorrow, and we will enroll the pupils."

With that, Miharu walked in with Endoh, who gave a weird look to the blonde woman who had her back to her.

_That charka…_ the Hokage turned around, seeing Miharu standing there. Her skin began to turn a hue of red. Miharu felt her heart skip a beat, even though this was her first time seeing the woman. For some reason…

"House of Nakamura?" she asked. Miharu nodded, gulping. The room fell silent, and the female Hokage felt it. If she hadn't had the title Hokage, she would've probably started fighting right then and there, but she kept her emotions in check.

"Hokage Tsunade…" Toshun broke the female shinobi out of her glare.

"Sorry." Tsunade walked back to the balcony and looked out over the city. Having new additions would shake things up, and ever since their own little crisis, forces had become more stable. The chunnin exam was in less than a month, and Tsunade had just thought about the headbands being worn. It wasn't the school then, it was the exam that would be the next step, provided the chunnin nominated them.

She looked out, watching the new visitors, especially Miharu.

"Those eyes, that charka…" Tsunade shook her head. From the looks of the young woman, she didn't have the malicious look in her eyes like her mother, but Tsunade made sure to keep an eye on her.

Also, their skin tones were different, ranging from a light brown, to sienna, to almost a complete black. But, that was normal of people who lived so close to the Shunkima Desert.

She decided to rest, not feeling much danger. But she had to admit, things would probably be different, a little more interesting.

She could hope...


	2. Theif?

**A thief … of the Grass?**

**Almost a week into their stay in Konoha, the guests are gathered to see Tsunade. Is there a thief among them?**

Taiki ducked a punch, then feigned a kick before rushing in with his open palm, landing it squarely in the chest of one of his genin, Endoh Shun. Shun, visibly grimaced for a second, then started laughing, his trademark. His mother, although nothing close to a shinobi, was a very cheery soul who cared more about hair styling than anything. Shun felt his chest and took a deep breath, then focused his charka. Taiki started forming hand signs, then placed one hand over his right eye.

"Eye of the Sparrow." Taiki said, feeling the power within his eye, which turned from dark brown to green.

Shun ran forward, preparing a combo, and Taiki focused on his target. Suddenly, he saw five images of Shun, all in the same line, in differing motions.

_Pick your spot, pick your spot…_ Taiki told himself. About three seconds later, he dodged the attack – barely, then watched Shun prepare another attack. Shun was shorter than Taiki, with a fairly solid build for a child his age. He preferred taijutsu more than any other fighting style, especially punches. He was defeated soundly by his classmates in Ritsu, the village of the Grass, but it didn't deter him. He loved to fight, and just the possibility of a fight erased any pain he felt. Taiki already knew Shun's reason to become a chunnin: just to see his genin fight. It was all Shun was about, and as primitive as it was, Taiki had to admit, at times, a little skirmish did get the blood going.

Shun closed in his distance, and Tiaki found his spot. He was about to strike when a voice called out.

"Taiki-sensei! Shun! We need to see the Leaf's Hokage right away! There has been a theft!" Michiya said, standing almost twnty feet away. The announcement was enough for Shun, who didn't stop his motion and threw a punch at Taiki. Taiki ducked at the last minute and held his hand up.

"Come on Shun. We can spar later." Taiki began to leave, then felt a hard punch to his neck. He tried to slap upside Shun's head, but the playful genin ducked and started laughing as he followed his chunnin.

Tsunade flared her nostrils as she decided what words to say. She had to choose carefully. Being in an important position like this meant a lot. She looked up to see the Grass guests seated, awaiting her words.

"There has been a theft in the jewelry shop last night. No one knows who it was, and I need to make sure none of you were involved."

She gave a look around the room, studying everyone's face. None looked suspicious, the only face differing being Shun's, who had a smile on his face. Tsunade disregarded him, knowing the nature of the crime. It was done by someone who was apart of a clan, it had to be. More work was done cleaning the scene of the crime than stealing.

"None of you?" Tsunade watched as the group shook their heads.

"When was this again?" Kaito asked.

"Last night. About two hours after you came." She replied. After a few moments, she was about to dismiss them, but noticed a look of contemplating on Taiki's face.

"What is it?" Tsunade asked, turning her body toward him.

"I'm wondering if _she_ is here." He answered.

"She?" Sutari asked. After a concerned look from Taiki, she knew.

"Maybe a _he_ too." She continued. "Is the whole clan…?"

"Clan?" Tsunade asked.

"The Ksuya Clan. The Clan of the Hidden Hand. It's a small clan that specializes in stealing and infiltration. They can get past even the most sophisticated systems. They're sort of mercenaries. When I said 'she'," Taiki said, "I meant Ksuya Zinata. She should be … about sixteen by now. She's a very talented ninja that grew up in the Hidden Hand's house, but was kicked out because she didn't want to complete any missions. I met her one day while I was with my students."

"She was the one that was challenged by Takumi? Her?" Michiyo asked. Taiki nodded.

"She's good, real good." Taiki said, looking at Takumi's direction. He had his usual expression. One of boredom and detachment. It was no secret to anyone who knew Kurokawa Takumi: He wanted to be with his brothers, both who'd become successful shinobi's. In all, he was the youngest of four. The oldest Kurokawa, Jimiya, was an adult by the time Takumi was born, so he didn't have much time to spend with him. The next oldest, Yamashita, was an anbu by now and Ishikawa, the next youngest was a hunting-nin. Taiki knew them both, and was the most apprehensive around Yamashita, who frequently messed with Taiki as a child.

He really didn't mean to intimidate the young Taiki, but he enjoyed messing with his head a little. If anything, Takumi hung around him the most, laughing all the while. Ishikawa was a different story. Being the closest in age to the young Takumi, he was the one disciplining him and keeping him in line. On a few occasions, his decisions kept Takumi alive.

It was easy to say Takumi was one of the better students in the Grass class. On a few occasions, he showed signs of genius with his genjutsu, surpassing even the chunnin at times. But, what really drove Takumi was seeing the death of his father. Kurokawa Chiori was one of the better transporters, after becoming a chunnin. He simply escorted people from village to village, ensuring their safety. One day, as Takumi was preparing a party with his family, he remembered there being a commotion outside, and seeing his three brothers and father begin to fight a small clan of masked men.

The fight quickly turned in favor for the House of Kurokawa, and Ishikawa struck the final blow, or so they thought. While the Kurokawa walked to examine the bodies, Takumi sensed something – or someone nearby.

"Watch out!" he heard his mother shout. The four men all turned to in different directions, checking the scene. There was no alert, and for a moment, Takumi sensed that everyone's guard was down.

All it took was a moment. Chiori screamed in pain as an arrow hit him in his lower back specifically, his kidney. It didn't help that the tip of the arrow was poisoned. Yamashita and Jimiya chased the shooter, but to no avail. They came back, shaking their heads. They couldn't catch them.

Chiori lay down on his bed, breathing heavily. The poison was taking its effect almost instantaneously. His mother, a nurse, worked feverishly to extract the poison, but the wound was too deep, and the poison had been ingested. It was only a matter of time. She turned to leave, and Takumi remembered that look on her face. One of complete helplessness. She began weeping and Yamashita and Jimiya both began to follow her outside. Takumi looked at Ishikawa, who began to fight back tears. It was the only time he remembered seeing any of his brothers showing that kind of emotion.

"This clan, I've never heard of them before. Not even in my bingo book. They must be a relatively new clan." Tsunade said. "I'll dispatch a team to search them out. How many of you know what they actually look like."

"My gennin and I have seen her before." Taiki said. Then, Sutari spoke up.

"I remember them now. My mother collects art and I remember fighting them off when they tried to steal some. A few wear masks, and a few hide some of their face. But their calling card if you will is their bright clothing." She said.

"Okay." Tsunade said. "Karubo, take the two older ones around town. The other three can go with the rest of the group."

Taiki's gennin showed looks of disappointment, even the usually amused Shun. There wasn't much to do in Konoha for a group of genii. The only event so far was probably the chunnin exam.

Karubo was a sturdily built man, standing about six feet tall. He wore a black robe with a white belt and black shoes. He had almost pale skin with slanted brown eyes. He wore the headband of the Leaf on his forehead, the most traditional manner. On his back was a sword, which he enjoyed using.

"This clan, are they dangerous?" Kuroba asked. "I've heard about many new clans, but they aren't very harmful. Is the clan of the Hidden Hand any threat should they be here?"

"If they're anything like Zinata, then yes. They are lightning fast and can take your shoes off of you without you knowing. I'm just going off of what I saw her do." Taiki answered.

"Yeah, not only are they fast, but they love to strike in groups. You won't see many of them walking alone. That much I know." Sutari spoke.

The town was up and running today, with business going as usual. Kuroba led them to the jewel shop that was robbed. It looked reasonably clean and untouched, but as they entered, they noticed that something was missing.

"The Yuya Dianmond. I was awoken by commotion as I slept. As I came in, I saw the diamond was gone. It doesn't mean much to you, but that jewel has been in my family for generations. I don't want to be the one to lose it." The shopkeeper said.

Kuroba nodded. "I'll make sure to get to the bottom of this."

Taiki thought of his eagle Chikoi.

"I think I have a way of finding them." Taiki said. "I think."

"Chikoi?" Sutair asked. He nodded. Karubo asked them who Chikoi was.

"My pet eagle. I know birds aren't known for their sense of smell, but if we had a picture…"

"Sorry, don't have any pictures."

"I'll still give it a try." Taiki said, whistling. A few seconds later, the eagle appeared in the front door. It screeched, and Taiki nodded.

"Seems like he may have seen where they went." Taiki said. He gave a small smirk to Sutari and Karubo, both of whom gave a smile in return. Without speaking, they knew what to do.

"Mr. Suzuki-san, we will do our best to recover your jewel." Karubo said before they left.

Takumi sat bored again, throwing stars and reflecting them back and forth with his charka. He felt something, but wasn't sure what feeling it was. It just felt like a burning feeling within himself. Not a physical, but more emotional. The kind you get when a fight is imminent. He quickly formed hand symbols and sat there for a few seconds before leaving.

"If I can't leave Konoha," he told himself. "I'll at least get in on some action."


	3. Getting to Know

Meet the Grass!

What good would characters be if you didn't know them?

Miharu gathered her genin and took them to train. Of the three chunin, she was given a pretty cooperative group. The oldest shared the same name and age as her: Yamashita Miharu, but she was called Yama. She was a tad smaller than Miharu, but was incredibly hyper. She wore a pink robe with red bow tied to the back. Her hair was in braids and she wore a white and red headband, which bore the Grass logo. She carried a bag that had many shoes, but she usually stuck with her red slippers.

Next in age was Sarutawari Kazuki, who was sixteen. He usually hung around Taiki, who told him to join becoming a shinobi when he was ready. What made him so different was his sheer size. He stood a solid five foot five, and weighed over two hundred pounds, very unconventional for a potential ninja. Though he wanted so bad to be speedy like the others, Miharu spent most of her time teaching him to use his great strength. Out of the group of Grass guests, only Kaito was stronger, and he had to work twice as hard just to reach that level. Kazuki trained harder to become faster than anything.

"If I am fast … no one will be able to touch me." He said. Miharu liked his spirit, but she hoped he would learn to use his size to his advantage. Zakuzi wore a black shirt and green shorts with matching shoes. Instead of wrapping the band around his head, he tied it around his wrist. He also wore bandages around his tree trunk like legs.

Her final genin was also the most cynical. Endoh Ayumi wasn't related to the more childish Shun or the deceptively nice Takeh. She was the second smallest though, andKazuki sometimes chided her for this, just like she made jokes about his weight. They evened each other out. Ayumi's small size and expression made most people think she was older than she was. She was only 13, but much like her mother, she was very smart and could sometimes outthink her opponents and end matches early. Her best weapon lay in her advanced bloodline: the use of sound.

Usually, to use sound, one would have to train extensively just to convert energy into sound. Ayumi had no trouble at an early age, creating and manipulating sound. She even knew how to throw her voice. She had fun with this trick until the elders found her out. From time to time, she'd use it still. She wore a white robe with black pants and a pink bow. She wore her headband around her neck.

Miharu was handed quite a group, but they weren't as troublesome as Taiki's. Shun was too playful, Takumi was too disinterested to make progress, and poor little Michiya was being ignored because Taiki spent so much time trying to keep the two boys in order.

Morita Taiki wasn't exactly the most solid guy either. He was five eight and weighed about one fifty. Ever since Miharu moved to Ritsu and met him, he'd always act strange and ask Miharu so many questions. The village admired him for his great attitude and helpful ways. His ability to help out, even on the most difficult tasks is what got him a spot as a chunnin. He was a very agile fighter who created his own jutsu: bird jutsu.

Chikoi inspired him, he told Miharu. He developed the Eye of the Sparrow and a various showoff moves normally saved for performing arts. Though he was a well-liked person, he would show signs of instability and inconsistency. He would shy away from confronting his genin should they do anything wrong, and in times when he needed to make an important decision, someone always stepped in to make it for him. He also seemed cold and aloof at times.

Miharu had to admit though, he wasn't given the most accommodating people, save for Fujiwara Michiya. At 15, she was always a pretty good girl who seemed to be a stabilizing force in her group. She was one of the few that knew the real Takumi. She even admitted that in academy school, he could figure out the toughest problems with ease. Michiya's parents were incredibly athletic throughout their lives, and it was passed down to her and Endoh (Sarai). They both took dance, and even thought they stopped, their fighting styles showed signs of it. What really made them special was their charka ability, an ability that was passed down through generations. She and her younger sister Endoh, could replenish their charka without consequence. This allowed them to stay in battles longer and outlast their opponents. The only drawback, if there were any, was that the charka ability wasn't an advanced bloodline.

The ability was a super-super secret series of hand signals and signs that no one had ever seen save for a few Fujiwara's. The mother decided to let them learn it, but told them under any circumstance, NOT to let anyone see it. Ever. In fact, to make it so, their mother Ankai, gave them a simple jutsu to use just in case someone wanted to see. For a skill like that to get into the wrong hands…

Also, Michiya was a hardy fighter like Shun. She wasn't as eager to start fights, but she surprised her opponents, even without her charka replenishing. She didn't use speed as much, but she was adept at finding and setting traps and dodging attacks. She wore a blue shirt and black pants with a navy blue headband with black shoes. An interesting group indeed.

Kaito was the oldest of the three chunnin, and probably the coolest. He wrote all sorts of stories and poetry, and wasn't as concerned with his genins strength as he was their minds. He frequently tested their mental skills with riddles and quizzes, much to their dismay. Espcially Matsuo Asuka.

She was actually Taiki's size, standing about five seven and had a toned build, a little odd for a 16 year old girl. She liked taijutsu the most because of the mainly physical nature. She looked up to Wuta Sutari, who liked the same jutsu. Sutari focused more on running than anything. She ran for both speed and distance, becoming fast enough to speed through traps. She used taijutsu, but most of the damage she dealt was built around gathering enough speed to make a difference. Asuka was more of a close range fighter, but knew a few ninjutsu here and there. She wore a white shirt with red stripes and blue pants and white shoes with blue stripes. She wore her band around her right bicep, and bandages on her left forearm.

Endoh Takeh, the smallest of the Grass genin, was probably the smartest. He was under five feet, and 11 years old. He relied on making his opponents make a mistake that he could exploit. It was how he frequently beat his older brother, Shun. He was very quick, and liked to set traps the most. Asuka would fight with him frequently to see how to combat traps. He wore a blue jacket with white shorts, with his right leg bandaged. His band was around his waist.

The youngest of all the genin was probably the most difficult to figure out. Fujiwara Endoh was only ten, and great at wandering away from – everything. Anything caught her eye and she asked about it continuously – probably the only thing that grated Kaito's nerves. As a shinobi, she showed potential, but not enough to warrant a nomination to be a chunin. She wore a pink striped shirt and pink pants with pink shoes, wearing her headband the traditional way. She, like her sister wore glasses.

Wara Sutari rounded out the gang of young people. She actually used to look after Taiki, and when Taiki was younger, he had a massive crush on her. She took after her mother, who was a well-known chunnin who never tried to be a jounin. Having four daughters can do that to a woman. Sutari was the second oldest, and probably the most athletic, and in her family, that meant a lot. She wore a red shirt under her black robe with a red ribbon tied around her waist. She carried a sword on her back as well.

Thirteen people, thirteen different personalities and thirteen different goals.


	4. Confrontation!

The Ksuya Hideout!

Karubo, Sutari and Taiki all prepare to infiltrate the Ksuya clans hideout. But how will they get past people who sneak around for a living?

"I can feel my head spinning a little. Don't worry though, it's just a sign there wil be some action." Kuroba said, smiling at Sutari. Taiki stayed focused, thinking about Zinata, and if she were back.

She was a little smaller than Taiki and wore a grey suit, with a green sash around her waist. She carried two swords around, and could handle them deftly. She resembled her mother Ksuya Nakata. Nakata's nickname was the "Venom Woman" because of her snake-like ways. She turned on just about anyone – it didn't matter how close they were. If they were in the way, she got someone to off them, or she did it herself.

He remembered how easily Zinata defeated Takumi. She didn't try any genjutsu, she just used her amazing speed and reflexes to close in on Takumi. Even Takumi was a little surprised. Zinata had an older brother as well, Akotse. He was shorter than her, and looked much younger, but was just as lethal as his sister. He used a giant needle and thread to attack his opponents. He controlled the thread, which was very thick, with his charka. His main method was to catch an opponent with the thread, wrap them up, then use the needle to impale them numerous times. It was a gruesome way to be attacked, for sure.

But, they weren't as dangerous as their mother, who would try to keep herself alive at all costs. She even told her children face to face, that if their life were in danger, they'd have to fend for themselves. And if she were in danger, she'd waste no time in throwing them in front of an oncoming attack.

The House of Ksuya was a gambling palace. Nataka ran it all, and was responsible for setting up various thefts, infiltration, assassination and reconnaissance. The place bustled with activity and Nakata always made her rounds, being flanked by her two newest bodyguards: Tyoh and Shuni. Tyoh was a broad-shouldered man who used a mallet, and Shuni was smaller and was adept at throwing weapons.

"The place is pretty busy. I say we just go in and ask. She's not one to kill for no reason. Now, if she suspects something of us…" Sutari said.

"I say we transform, just to blend in." Kubora said. "It couldn't hurt."

"Yeah, I agree." Taiki knelt on the tree branch overlooking the Ksuya's house.

"It's worth a try. But we must be careful. She's very shrewd." Sutari said, transforming. Taiki and Karubo both changed into rich men ad Sutari transformed into a servant.

As they walked to the door, a huge needle landed in front of them.

"She'll look through your disguise right away." A small young man jumped into a view. He wore all black with a white sash, his mouth and nose covered. He stood beside his needle, which was seven feet long. His thread slithered around him like a snake as he looked at the trio, who instantly transformed back.

"So?" Kuroba asked. "how do we-"

"You want that diamond, right?" he asked. "Man, that whole mission was fun to pull off. You should've seen it…"

His expression changed from amused, to grim.

"Of course, I really can't let you in if you want it, you know that, right?" he readied his needle, hoisting it over his shoulder. The thread began to slide toward them.

"A fight already?" Sutari readied her sword. Taiki called Chikoi and Karubo drew his sword.

"Please, not against me. Against them. It should keep you company while I get Nataka." Atokse knelt and vanished, and the trio turned to see six shinobi ready for blood. Even with their masks on.

Sutari quickly rushed the group and held her left hand up – a signal for Taiki to use his bird jutsu. He turned to Karubo and whispered something. Karubo nodded and readied his sword.

Taiki ran and Karubo followed, his sword ready to slice. In an instant, Taiki burst into a flock of birds, distracting the ninjas. As they flew around, the ninjas were cut and sliced as Karubo and Sutari wasted no time in their attacking. Taiki landed on a branch, Chikoi on his shoulder. Five down, he counted. The final one…

"Eye of the Sparrow." He whispered. He saw the ninja running up and scalping Karubo. With a quick motion, he threw a kunai at the Leaf jounin. With a 'thuck' sound, the final ninja fell, with the sword still over his head, as if he were about to attack. Karubo looked up and gave a respectful nod to Taiki.

Taiki jumped down from his branch. He didn't mind killing from a distance. It was when he saw the face of his opponent that the killing intent left him. There was something about the final moments of a persons life, them staring at you. It made him freeze a bit and shudder.

"Just like I thought." A syrupy voice poured from the top of the steps. The trio looked up and saw Nataka with her two guards and Atokse at the bottom of the steps. Nataka wore a gold jacket with turquoise pants and a gold sash.

"And I was just about to assign them to kill a businessman. Good thing you tested them, huh?"

She walked down the steps, holding a diamond, with an emerald in the middle. Atokse stepped aside as Nataka's feet touched the ground.

"I'm a businesswoman and I'm willing to make a deal with you." She said. "I will give you this diamond – if you agree to fight my bodyguards."

Karubo raised his hand. Nataka shook her head.

"He knows who I'm talking too." She grinned. Taiki sighed, feeling his heart drop. He'd seen both their faces. The big one was bald and had no facial hair. The smaller one had a goatee and no moustache. He could see their eyes. He grimaced inside, but knew what he had to do.

"Ok." He stepped forward, Chikoi on his shoulder.

"there are no rules," Nataka said, raising a finger. "except one. The one who wins, will be the one or ones who draws first blood."

"One on two?" Taiki asked. Nataka nodded.

"My turf, my rules. If you can win, we send you off with the diamond – no strings attached. You lose, and you had better run as fast as you can, cause I can't be responsible for how I feel when I smell blood." Her hazel eyes glowed, even giving her guards the chills.

"Ok, boys, don't let up. He's good, but I don't know if he can handle two, especially of your caliber." She said. "GO!"

Tyoh threw his mallet sideways, letting it fly like a boomerang. Shuni used his speed to get behind Taiki, who turned to face him. Luckily for him, the long handle of the mallet struck his back. Shuni wasn't so fortunate, and was knocked out cold from the impact, landing at the base of a tree. He bled through his clothes, leaving Taiki and Tyoh. Taiki got in front of the mallet and used his Eye of the Sparrow, seeing that Tyoh could control the mallet with his charka. The mallet flew over his head, then stood, handle up, beside the large man, while he used hand signs to use ninjutsu. Both his arms doubled in size, and he lifted the mallet easily.

"Did I mention he's a part of the Chouji clan?" Nataka beamed. She was always good at evaluating talent, and with the excess of shinobi unable to attain stable jobs, she gave them jobs with her. With this kind of process, she had all kinds of shinobi at her disposal.

"Giant Swing!" Chouji Tyoh shouted, shaking the ground, and swinging with his whole body, spinning around and spinning right at a stunned Taiki. When the ground shook, there was no way of gaining footing to properly avoid him. The winds grew stronger, and the spectators stood their ground as best they could as he wound up all of his power.

In this attack Tyoh could easily wipe out entire groups, but he had no sense of direction, like most of the Chouji clans physical attacks. Taiki focused his charka on the unstable ground – then whistled. Chikoi swooped in and Taiki raised his hand, transferring his charka to the eagle, who lifted him off the ground. Taiki was only ten feet off the ground, and Chikoi wasn't about to hold Taiki up for long. Tiaki felt his charka slowly dissipating. Tyoh stopped, feeling a little woozy, and Taiki found his open spot. He started forming a hand sign as Tyoh regained his composure.

He fell to the ground, right in front of Tyoh, who wasted no time in whacking the stationary Taiki. As the ninja was knocked back, a sudden POOF was heard, and … Chikoi grimaced in pain. He screeched as Sutari and Karubo ran over to him. Meanwhile, Tyoh was absolutely confused, and looked at Nataka, who put her hand on her forehead, sighing.

"Very nice tactic. Almost … impressive." She said. An even more confused Tyoh instantly felt pain in the back of his knee, and felt it leaking a warm fluid. He looked behind him to see Taiki kneeling, still holding the kunai firmly in the back of his knee. He pulled it out quickly, and Tyoh yelled in pain, falling to the ground.

"The diamond is yours." She said, tossing it to Sutari. "It really wasn't of much worth to me anyway."

"Huh?" Taiki asked. "Why'd you take it?"

"Someone wanted it. I think some other clan wanted it. Forgot their name too. But, like I told them, you should never trust a snake." She smiled. "They knew what they were getting into."

Karubo placed the jewel in his pouch and prepared to leave, but sensed something. A star fell at the feet of Nataka, and she looked in the direction it was thrown. She saw the thrower, and felt her skin tingle.

"Kurokawa…"


	5. Lost Found Missing Promised

**Lost … Found … Missing**

Miharu and Kaito lose a genin! Takumi finds his chunnin! What is missing?

"I'll give it to him, he's clever. " Miharu watched the shadow clone of Takumi disappear. "He waited until everyone was occupied, then he left."

"Any idea to where he went?" Kaito asked. Miharu nodded.

"Well, the officer, Taiki and Sutari left to get the diamond. Most likely…" Miharu said.

"Yeah. Well, since there are an even number of genin here right now, we should split Shun and Michiya. I'll take Michiya." Miharu shook her head.

"No, no, no. Anyone but him. He plays around too much. I'll get the girl, you get the guy!" her brown eyes flashed red. Kaito, still calm, nodded.

"All right. I'll take him." He said. "but if he causes trouble, I'm leaving him in the forest."

Miharu laughed, then asked Kaito if someone should be alerted that Takumi was missing. Kaito shook his head.

"It may sound funny, but out of all the genin, he's the one I worry about the least when it comes to being lost. He can handle himself."

Atokse instantly lashed his thread at Takumi, who leapt off the bramch, throwing stars at the short shinobi. The stars were easily reflected off the needle, and the thread swung at Takumi's ankle. Atokse missed again, then started forming hand signs.

"thread split no jutsu!" he said, and just as fast, the threads split like vines traveling at a high speed toward the Kurokawa clan member. They snapped at him, but Takumi evaded them, not showing any signs of strain. Nataka put her hand up, and Atokse reluctantly called the thread back.

"A Kurokawa clan member. Never thought I'd see one … again." Nataka smiled. "Chiori…"

Takumi felt his adrenaline rushing as she continued.

"It's always tough to lose relative, especially a close one. But loss is a part of life." She said, pausing. "Your four should go. Now."

"Who killed my father?" Takumi blurted. Nataka turned from walking to the house.

"You'll know them soon. Just know that they're closer than you think." She said, without a grim expression. "Tyoh! Shuni, pick your sorry selves up and come in!"

Sutari and Taiki both sat at a the ramen shop, with Taiki feeding Chikoi a bit of his noodles.

"Taiki, I know Takumi is a very smart, capable genin. People who've seen him for more than two minutes knows that. But this running off without permission, it had to stop. Taiki, talk to him." Sutari said.

"I will." Taiki said, fiddling around with the chopsticks. "I will."

"Taiki…" Sutari looked away with a concerned look, then looked back. "The person who killed Takumi's father. Nataka said they were closer than we thought."

"Could it be anyone our group? The only person with that sort of past is Miharu, but she doesn't use arrows." Taiki responded.

"Certainly not Kaito. He knew Chiori pretty well." Sutari said. "I'm not sure if it's our business to start looking, but if they're close, we could be affected."

"Yeah, but we've done enough searching for one day. I need my rest. I'll talk to Takumi, then go to sleep." Taiki picked up his ramen, letting Chikoi eat it. Sutari bid him good night, and sped off to the rooms.

"You don't understand." Takumi said, looking down. "My father…"

"Takumi, I knew him also. He was my chunin. Trust me, before he was an ANBU, he'd take me, Dorin, and Rizo out on missions." Taiki said. Takumi nodded slowly.

"I feel, kind of weak." Takumi said. "It was four years ago when it happened. And do you know what the party was for?"

"No, what was it for?" Taiki responded.

"My fathers retirement. He was pretty young, about 41, but there was a kind of sickness he had. It forced him to retire. It just took away his stamina so quickly when he used charka." Takumi said. "To this day, even though he was struck by the arrow, it was kind of tough to discern whether it was his sickness, or the poison."

"That's why I really don't know how to react when someone talks about him." Takumi continued. "I didn't know whether to listen or to fight them."

"Takumi, I understand your feelings." Taiki said. "I know how bad you want to get away from us and find your brothers. At least stay here and finish the chunin exam. I know you can do that."

"I will." Takumi answered. "My brothers … they treated me nicely, but after seeing you and Sutari and the officer fight, I decided – "

"You were there that long?" Taiki asked. Takumi nodded.

"I was at a distance, but I had a pretty good view. When I came closer … that's when the woman noticed me. But, I decided to go my own path. I'll help the Kurokawa name survive."

"It's the least I can do."

The next day signaled the one week countdown before the chunnin exam. The chunin and their genin trained hard once again, and after Taiki arrived, there was talk of having only six candidates compete. They omission of Endoh was all but unanimous, and Yama was slowly losing interest. Taiki commented that Michiya was progressing like he hoped.

They still had a week, and Miharu, Kaito, Taiki and Sutari decided that they would use this week as an evaluation period to see if anyone was or wasn't prepared.


End file.
